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MH/Mummies
General Description Mummies are a rare and dangerous form of undead - self-willed animated corpses with iron-clad self control, nearly flawless imitation of living humans, and dangerous powers. All Mummies are very strong - well preserved and powered by ancient magics or sheer determination, Mummies rate somewhere between Zombies and Vampires for sheer brute force. All mummies are highly resilient to damage, intelligent and composed enough to wield weapons, and have all the time in the world to master magical, social, or combat skills. Greater Mummies and Lesser Mummies Greater Mummies arise from corpses specifically prepared for undeath; they re-animate once a specific trigger condition is met - disturbance of the tomb, performance of a trigger ritual, etc. Their powers are closely linked to the preparations and the trigger for re-animation. While most Greater Mummies are associated with non-Abrahamic cultures, some dark-ages Christian graveyards prepared the first corpse interred within as a collective tomb guardian. All Greater Mummies still empowered by their re-animation conditions have the ability to take at least one powerful "spirit form". These tend to fall within thematic groups based on culture of origin - Egyptian Greater Mummies often become insects (giant or swarms), or animated sandstorms, British Isles Greater Mummies become gigantic Black Dogs, and so forth. Lesser Mummies arise from preserved corpses that were not deliberately prepared for undeath. They form a broad class of self-willed, physical undead distinguished by their self-control and durability. Most Lesser Mummies lack the extremes of physical protection enjoyed by Greater Mummies, and all lack spirit forms. Many, however, are able to astrally project - the combination of astral projection and relative physical vulnerability often results in Lesser Mummies staying in the relative safety of their tombs, only venturing forth in astral form. Lesser Mummies require some effort from others to maintain their undead vigor - the remembrance of their relatives, ritual sacrifice by tomb priests, etc. Some forgotten Lesser Mummies resort to psychic vampirism or breath-stealing to sustain themselves, while others concoct magical Rituals for self-preservation. Lesser Mummies can therefore be mistaken for some of the more exotic types of vampires, ghosts, or demons. Types of Greater Mummies For the purposes of monster hunting, Greater Mummies may be categorized according to their re-animation trigger. Many physical protections of the Greater Mummy are tightly linked to this trigger, and can therefore be disrupted by abusing or destroying the link. Funary Amulet: Mummies of this type are empowered by a specific item or amulet. Metal or precious gem medallions or religious symbols, figurines, inscribed scrolls, and even the Mummies' own preserved vital organs have all been found as Funary Amulets. The more fragile Amulets (scrolls, organs) are usually permanently sealed in protective containers - phylactery boxes or scroll cases for scrolls, canopic jars for organs. Most Funary Amulet Mummies are impaired by even physical separation from this source of power; Mummies with more cumbersome Amulets can roam without their Amulet, but almost never very far. Most Amulets cannot be permanently destroyed without slaying their Mummy. If an Amulet is not destroyed, the Mummy will return from the dead to reclaim it. Ritual Incantation: Mummies of this type are empowered by a ritual incantation. This incantation is not a Magical Ritual, and is fully effective if correctly pronounced by anyone - regardless of distance, magical knowledge, intent, or even any knowledge of the language or what they're pronouncing. Ritual Incantation Mummies are usually created and then left inanimate "in storage" in case of crisis, with the ritual stored with the Mummy or nearby in the tomb. Once awakened, Ritual Incantation Mummies can be critically weakened by performance of a counter-ritual. For the earliest kinds of Ritual Incantation Mummy, these counter-rituals may be as simple as reciting the original Incantation backwards! For obvious security reason, the counter-ritual is never kept with the Ritual Incantation. Site Guardians: Mummies of this type have a permanent linkage to a specific site, typically their tomb or grave, and their animation is triggered by its disturbance. Once re-animated, they are able to roam freely from this site, but retain mystical ties to it throughout their existence. Some Greater Mummy Site Guardians have the ability to scry it from a distance and a rare few may instantly travel to its defense. The defenses of Site Guardians are bypassed by weapons made from their sacred site.